Kol takes extended weekend, metro exception on transport no-show day
Times of India | 26 October 2024
Kolkata: Buses were fewer, autos did not ply, ferries did not operate and cabs charged a bomb. As the public transport system almost disappeared from city roads on Friday, hours after the landfall of Cyclone Dana in Odisha, metro was the saving grace, running its usual services, without any snag or delay.
Commuters, too, were far fewer than usual as many Kolkatans, who could afford to, stayed indoors on the rain-drenched day. But those who had no such luxury had to wait for buses for over 45 minutes amid the incessant showers. The number of buses dwindled further in the afternoon, making it even more difficult for the home-bound crowd. “I travelled to Tollygunge by train and then caught a metro to Belgachhia. I usually take a bus but it was futile waiting for one on Friday,” said Gobindo Basak, a trader.
Conceding the number of buses on the road was low, private bus operators, who run most buses in the city, said 10% of a weekday count hit the roads and many withdrew by late afternoon. “Not more than 200-250 buses plied post noon,” said Titu Saha, secretary of City Suburban Bus Service. “Around 800-1,000 buses left for the first trip after 7 am. But most did not go for more than two trips. The highest ticket sale in two trips was Rs 2,000-Rs 2,500 only.”
Pointing at the “extreme sensitivity” of Euro-VI buses, Saha said it was also impractical to take out those vehicles in the rain. “These buses stall if the sensors come in contact with water,” he said. The third reason for buses staying off roads was reluctance among drivers and conductors.
Indranil Banerjee, general secretary of West Bengal Online Cab Operators Guild, said they ran around 30% of the fleet. “Our drivers posted videos of the problems they faced. The situation on the bylanes around Quest Mall was the worst, and we stopped operations there. We also faced a severe passenger shortage after office hours,” he said.
Flooding was reported on several major roads, which also saw the vehicle count dropping. Among such roads were Strand Road, MG Road, CR Avenue, Theatre Road, Camac Street, Park Street, Ballygunge Place, Lake Gardens, Burdwan Road, Belvedere Road, DH Road and MG Road (Haridevpur). Flooding led to frequent breakdowns of vehicles.